AUBURN, Ala. — Current LSU softball player Rachel Mitchell and former Tiger Tayl’r Hollis helped the Virginia Legends capture their third-straight Amateur Softball Association 23-Under National Championship with a 9-1 win over the Georgia Fire on Saturday, July 19, at the Auburn Softball Complex.
Junior outfielder to be Mitchell, and Hollis, who just completed her eligibility last spring, were named to the All-America team as part of the Legends. Joining the Tiger duo on the Legends’ team to be named All-Americans were Florida’s Francesca Enea (Tournament MVP), Stacey Nelson and Kristina Hilberth; Tennessee’s Jennifer Lapicki; South Carolina’s Ashton Payne (Tournament Batting Champion) and Missouri’s Rhea Taylor.
After defeating East Cobb (Ga.) in their first game, 4-0, on Friday, the Legends fell to the Georgia Fire, 3-0, to drop into the loser’s bracket. In the first game, Hollis went 2-3 to lead Virginia at the plate.
Returning to play on Saturday, the Legends needed three-straight wins to earn the national title. Virginia trailed 2-0 after two and a half innings, but rallied with five unanswered runs to defeat New Jersey Elite, 5-2. Mitchell went 2-for-3 at the plate one of the leaders for the Legends.
Against the Georgia Fire in the first championship game of the double elimination tournament, Virginia took the lead in the first inning and never trailed as Hollis was 3-for-4 in the Legends’ 6-1 win to send it to a decisive championship game against the Fire. With four runs in the third and three in the fourth, Virginia went on to win, 9-1 in six innings, as Mitchell was 2-for-4 with a home run and Hollis was 2-for-2.
This is the third-straight ASA 23-Under National Championship for the Virginia Legends and the fourth in the last six years. Mitchell helped the Legends to the national title in 2007 as well, giving her two-straight national championships with Virginia. The Legends earned top honors out of six teams in the tournament, which included three teams from Georgia and one from New Jersey.
ASA 23-Under All-America Team
Position Player Team
Pitcher Stacey Nelson Virginia Legends
Pitcher Teresa Gober Georgia Fire
Pitcher Ashton Ward Virginia Legends
Catcher Alisha Prytowsky New Jersey Elite
Outfield Lana Lazar Georgia Elite
Outfield Blair Shimandle Georgia Fire
Outfield Ashton Payne Virginia Legends
Outfield Rachel Mitchell Virginia Legends
Utility Lyndsey Balinskas New Jersey Elite
Utility Courtney Knight Georgia Fire
Utility Jennifer Lapicki Virginia Legends
Infield Francesca Enea Virginia Legends
Infield Kristina Hilberth Virginia Legends
Infield Niki Stansell Georgia Fire
Infield Taylor Hollis Virginia Legends